Apparatus for cleaning carpets and like fabrics.



W. ROWBOTHAM. APPARATUS FOR CLEANING CARPETS AND LIKE FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1907.

1,007,799. Patented .Nov. 7, 1911.

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APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 23, 1907.

Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

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WALTER HSWS D'IHJAM.

INVENTSH WITNESSES WJZ Arum".

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER ROWBOTHAM, OF'MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA.

'APPARATUS FOR CLEANING CARPETS AND LIKE FABRICS.

To all whom 'it m a'y concern: 1

Be it known that I, WALTER ROWBOTHAM, of the city of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new ,and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Gleanin Carpets and Like Fabrics, of which the f0 lowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention has relation to a device for cleaning carpets and similar fabrics, and the invention consists in the construction and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter described .and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings which illustrate my in-' 5-6 of Fig.1. Fig. 6 is an elevation of the gearing for driving the fan.

Referring to the parts, 7 designates the floor line upon which the apparatus is adapted to run, said'machine being mounted upon wheels in the usual manner.

8 designates a fan chamber having the,

eccentric inner wall 9. A fan comprising side plates 10 secured to the shaft 11 by means of the pins-12 and "supporting between them the curved blades 13, revolves within the chamber 8; The fan discharges through a tapering passage 14 which terminates in a nozzle 15 located at the front of the machine close to the floor. Said fan being adapted to force a jet of air from the nozzle 15 downwardly upon the carpet or other fabric to be cleaned, while the suction from the fan draws in air at the aperture 16. The current of air moves up the passage 17 carrying with it the dust dislodged from the carpet by the action of the air jet issuing from the nozzle. 15. At the intersection. of the aperture 16 and the terminal of the tapering passage 14, I provide an intermediate air mlet 17 ,through which is also drawn air by means of the suction from the fan, which facilitates the forcing of foreign substances through the passage 17. The dust is discharged from the nozzle 18 of the conduit 17 into a receiver 19. This dust is directed against the bafile plate 20 which is provided at the top with a screen 21, through which the fan draws in its air. The air after passing Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed August 23, 1907. Serial No. 389,758.

through the screen 21 enters the suction pipes 22, which open into the ends. of therecelver behind the baflie plate 20. The fan is driven from the shaft '23, which is journaled in the brackets 2%and receives its motion from the supporting wheels 25 which are fixed to 1t. The wheels are provided with rubber tires 26 toinsure a good grip on theball clutch, as shown in Figs-1 and 5. This clutch comprises a disk 29 fixed to the shaft 11 by a pin 30 and provided with a plurality of recesses 31 in the face thereof. The disk revolves within a second recessed disk- 32 which is loose on the shaft and belted to the gear train. A small ball 33 is located in each of the recesses 31 and is maintained in place by a cover 34. As long as the disk 32 revolves inthe direction of the arrow (Fig. 1) the balls 33 will be pinched in the pointed ends of the recesses 31 and will connect the two disks. As soon as the direction of the disk 32 is reversed, the balls are loosened and fall to the large ends of the recesses leaving the two disks free and independent. The gear train and clutch are inclosed within a housing 35. The receiver 19 is provided with a removable end 36 having a flange 37 circumferentially recessed to receive one half of a rubber sealing ring 38 which en-. gages the inner face of the receiver, holding the cover securely and forming a dust-tight joint. The cover is, for convenience, provided with a handle 39. The device may be operated by means of a handle inserted in the socket 40 attached to the bracket 41, the extremities of which engage the shaft 23 and are provided with suitable bushings 42.

The operation of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing description and drawings. V

Having thus described my invention what I claim is 1. A carpet cleaning device, comprising a pair of running wheels, a fan or blower connected therewith, means for clutching the fan shaft-for operating said fan in-one direction only, a dust receiver, means for directing a jet of air downwardy on the fabric to be cleaned, a conduit for conveying the dust raised by said jet into said receiver, and a connecting conduit between the fan Patented Nov. '7, 1911.

7 2. A carpet cleaning device comprising a 1 pair of supporting wheels, a. fan or blower ;-connected therewith, means for rotating sald fan when the wheels are driven in a forward dlrectlon, a dust receiver, a downwardlyturned air conduit leading from the fan'to thefabric to be cleaned, and terminating in a nozzle, a dust conduit leading from near said nozzle into said receiver, a baflle late in said receiver, and connecting air con uits between the receiver and fan casing, one extending on each side of the casing, substantially as specified.

' 3. A carpet cleaning device, comprising supporting wheels, a casing, a fan journaled within said casing, -a gear train driven by said wheels, a clutch connecting the gear train with said fan, a dust receiver, a downwardly-tapered air passage leading from the fan casing to the fabric to be cleaned, a dust conduit leading into said receiver, a diaphragm in said receiver, a meshed screen connecting the diaphragm with the wall of the receiver, and an air-conduit opening behind said dia hragm and leading into the fan casing,- su stantially as specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set.

my hand in the presence of two witnesses. WALTER ROWBOTHAM.. Witnesses:

' STUART R. W. ALLEN,

WILLIAM G. ARMSTRONG. 

